The Western Pacific Ocean (WPO) features a complicated ocean circulation system with intensive multiscale interactions with the atmosphere and adjacent ocean basins. Understanding the dynamics of the WPO ocean circulation as well as its role in climate and biogeochemical processes is of crucial importance.

The first and second Open Science Symposium (OSS) on Western Pacific Ocean Circulation and Climate (WPOC) were successfully held in 2012 in Qingdao, China and 2015 in Busan, Korea. The WPOC OSS has been an important conference among the western Pacific Ocean circulation and climate research community and beyond.

The 3rd Open Science Symposium on Western Pacific Ocean Circulation and Climate (3rd OSS-2018) will be held on May 8-10, 2018 in Qingdao, China. This will provide a forum for oceanographers, meteorologists and climate scientists to exchange recent progresses in their study of the WPO circulation and climate and its generality/difference with other oceans, marine biogeochemistry and ecosystem, their variability, changes and impacts, to explore opportunities for international scientific collaboration, and to promote inter-disciplinary study in the WPO. It will be an excellent opportunity for early career scientists and students to show-case their research and gain international exposure.

Symposium topics will be presented in oral and poster formats. Cash reward up to 5000 RMB will be given for the best poster presentations. Limited financial travel award sponsored by Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (QNLM) will be open for application to support students and early career scientists. Topics include:

Session 1: Pacific Western Boundary Currents (WBCs) dynamics and variability

Session 2: Interaction of WPO circulation with adjacent waters (e.g., the East and South China Seas, ITF, Indian Ocean, extra-tropical Pacific Ocean)

Session 3: Roles of WPO circulation variability in warm pool and ENSO variability

Session 4: Influences of WPO on regional (e.g., monsoon, typhoon, extreme climatic events) and global climate systems and their predictability

Session 5: WPO’s role in and impacts on carbon cycle, biogeochemical process, acidification, ecosystem, paleo-oceanography, and so on

Session 6: Characteristics, dynamics and impact of WBCs in other oceans

2018OSS-1st Announcement.pdf